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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks Robert. This should be a fun and entertaining meeting. See you all next Monday. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Chris<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Nebraska-Senior-Blind <nebraska-senior-blind-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Robert Leslie Newman via Nebraska-Senior-Blind<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, May 1, 2022 3:12 PM<br><b>To:</b> NE senior division listserv <nebraska-senior-blind@nfbnet.org>; NFB Seniors Division Discussion List <nfb-seniors-discussion@nfbnet.org>; BuddyCollier1959@icloud.com<br><b>Cc:</b> robertleslienewman@gmail.com<br><b>Subject:</b> [Nebraska-Senior-Blind] NFB of Nebraska Senior Division May Meeting - A Special Guest, Buddy Collier; read message to learn more!<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Hi You All<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>RE: Our May meeting is Monday the 9th<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>TOPIC: A special guest – author of a great article appearing in our Federation’s flagship magazine, ”The Braille Monitor”, April, 2022 issue: “</span>A Letter to Myself or an Awkward Stage,” by Buddy Collier A copy of the article is pasted in below the agenda; take a read and think of questions or comments you may have for Buddy, or us!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Contents of this message:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*1: When and how to get on our monthly call<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*2: Agenda <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*3 The NFB Pledge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*4: Article from “the Braille Monitor”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*1: When and how to get on the call<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Date: Monday May 9th<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Time: 7:00 CT<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Join Zoom Meeting:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="https://zoom.us/j/97431318555?pwd=NmVpT2VhTEl4ZlczVElyZDYycDNGQT09">https://zoom.us/j/97431318555?pwd=NmVpT2VhTEl4ZlczVElyZDYycDNGQT09</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>One tap mobile:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>+13462487799,,97431318555#,,,,*637552# <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>+14086380968,,97431318555#,,,,*637552# <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Dial by your location:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>+1 346 248 7799 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>+1 408 638 0968<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Meeting ID: 974 3131 8555<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Passcode: 637552<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*2: Agenda<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-First- Come to order, do introductions, and we have our NFB Pledge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Second- Our special guest will talk with us about his article, and the experiences that it represents; opening it up for questions, so we all get the max out of our shared experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>--OLD BUSINESS <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Update from our membership Committee- Nancy and Jerry <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Update on the two fund raising opportunities that have come up and that we are working on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Anything else membership may bring<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>--NEW BUSINESS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Question- who has not received their NFB coin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Update concerning the Nebraska affiliate happenings; we are a part of this!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Whatever else we get from the membership<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>-Brags and Drags<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*3: NFB Pledge: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*4: The Buddy Collier article:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>From “The Braille Monitor” April 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a name="_Hlk102304476"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>A Letter to Myself or an Awkward Stage<o:p></o:p></span></a></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk102304476'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>by Buddy Collier<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk102304476'></span><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Buddy Collier <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>From the Editor: Buddy is a member who lives in Nevada. He is an active member of our affiliate, and in this article he expresses something we talk little about in the NFB, that being the transition from sight to blindness. Some of us have not known the experience. Others of us have been blind long enough that we see it as a stage we passed through and are now about living our lives as blind people. While reality dictates that we accept our new situation and look for the advantages to be found in it, we can’t simply offer the advice to work through the transition by keeping a stiff upper lip and a positive attitude. For most of us, feelings are not so easily manipulated, and feelings unacknowledged can lead to long-term problems and a failure to transition to something better—the realization that we are still human beings meant to thrive and not broken sighted persons. Here is what Buddy, a person not yet blind but well on the way, has to say:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>This is a letter to myself, that self that was trying to make sense of it all six years ago when the retina detached in my right eye after a cataract removal surgery. In this letter I speak to myself, the self that was going through so much trauma and pain six years ago. It is also a kind of chat with anyone who may be experiencing some degree of vision loss but who is not legally blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Since all of that terrible stuff happened, I have seen three of my friends suffer similar experiences. We are all sixty years of age or older.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>If I had to give it a title, I would entitle this, “My Awkward Stage.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>After eight surgeries and weeks of holding my head down—hoping that the air bubble, then the gas bubble, and then silicon oil all placed in the eye to repair the retina—after all that, I can see, and there are things that I can’t see. The vision in the right eye is gone. When it went, it was almost a relief. The scleral buckle attached to the eye caused me to see double, and that was worse than seeing with only one eye. So now, seeing with one eye through trifocals, living with glaucoma, and a forming cataract means I am frequently mindful of my vision situation. In addition, there are things I can see that confuse me. I think my brain is working overtime to translate the signals it receives by making assumptions about the world that aren’t so. I am someone who lives between the sighted world and the blind world. My usable vision sets me outside the world of those who rely solely on other senses to navigate their world. My impairment makes me cautious and sometimes fearful. I love the vision that I have; I just don’t trust it completely. My vision is frequently disorienting and unreliable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The gradual and unpredictable loss of vision lasting months or years is a life-changing process. I doubt that anyone who must live through the shock, depression, and challenges brought to them because of vision loss found it an easy thing to deal with. We might as well face it and call it what it is: it is a loss. The uncertainty which accompanies it, like grief accompanies sorrow, only adds to the miasma. Almost daily the person experiencing this loss wonders how far it is going to go. Has it stopped yet? Or, am I going to step entirely into the darkness? Perhaps this experience should be categorized as an auxiliary experience in addition to a decline in vision. One thing is for sure, though: When you are in the middle of it, you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>In the beginning stages you probably appear normal to your sighted friends. When they catch evidence of your impairment in an odd moment, they may declare their surprise that it is real. Legally, you may very well be sighted. You learn that the experts can’t agree 100 percent on a definition of blindness. Kenneth Jernigan aptly explored the question of where the term ‘blindness’ might be applied in his article, "Who Are We? A Definition of Blindness." You learn there is more to vision than the physical eye and that blindness has more to do with function than with the state of the eye. You know something in you is amiss. Things are not right, and you naturally feel threatened. The eye specialists I consulted didn’t offer any direction or help when it comes to dealing with vision loss or the emotional trauma accompanying it. Their world seemed to be limited to numbers and observable conditions which they dutifully record in files. My retina specialist stated that the last surgery he conducted on my right eye had been a success. He said this in spite of the obvious fact that my eye was now completely blind. He casually added that the left eye would probably follow the same path as the right. He said that in ten or fifteen years I’ll have serious challenges with vision. His concern was so narrowly focused that he had excluded his patient.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>As an individual experiencing vision loss, you are acutely aware that fundamental changes are taking place in your body and in your life. The script of your life is being revised without your consent. You may, as I did, feel that you are trying to live life from inside a box. In the early days I had a feeling that I was physically disconnected from my environment. It was a kind of numbness. At the beginning of this journey most people with whom you will interact will be incapable of perceiving these changes happening inside you. No one but you know how you have cobbled together a developing set of skills to navigate everyday life. Now you check the step with your toe before climbing a staircase or when you encounter a curb. Then there is how, at the grocery store checkout, you dip your card holding hand below the payment device and slowly move up to find the slot where you’ll insert the card. There’s that trick you figured out when people want to hand you a cup or return your debit card. You learned that it is easier just to extend your hand out and wait for them to push it into your fingers than to feel about in front of them, making a show of it all. You choose a side to walk on when going out with friends. Every day you wonder, "How far will this go?" You learn that your current vision is not to be completely trusted. It is like an old friend who has turned against you. Once you felt you could trust it completely. Now it randomly lies, abandoning you to figure out your next move without reliable guidance.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>So, bit by bit, you start to figure out that your fingers can help fill in some of the gaps. Are you about to graze the corner of the kitchen counter? Your fingers can tell you. How far away is that overhanging branch or cabinet door? Suddenly there are bumps and little ledges on common household items that are speaking to you in a new language. Is that my toothbrush? Feel the curve of the handle or put a rubber band around it so your fingers will know. Do you over or under reach the glass when you are pouring a liquid, making a mess? Let your fingers be the judge of distance there too. Is there a dried bit of food on the top of the kitchen counter that your eyes can’t see? Well, your fingers can find it. I have found my fingers are much more strict about cleaning counter tops than my eyes had ever been. The same goes for washing dishes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>You would think this would be enough, but the experience is bigger than that. How about seeing things that aren’t there? In my journey I have seen many illusions. My personal favorite was the pictures of galleons decorating a restaurant wall. They looked as if they were leaving the painting and sticking out into the air.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>A word about complaining: You are going to be inclined to do a lot of complaining that first year. Because we lack an adequate vocabulary to explain our new experiences, we tend to struggle with words that can help others understand our new world. Remember that there is a limit to how much other people can focus on you. We don’t want to fatigue the patience of our friends. This may invite you to become bitter and think no one cares. Try to remember that to them understanding your situation may be like explaining something that is happening on another planet. They know you are disturbed, but they can’t see what you are seeing. And, as you are learning, what people can’t see is frequently dismissed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>You may also seek some spiritual context in which to place all of this. At some point you have to get on with it and do the best you can with what you’ve got. I think it was at the place where I finally had cried enough and complained enough that I began my journey to acceptance. That took me about three years. Patience!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>So, since I am a person who usually overreacts to situations, I chose to inform myself as fully as possible about blindness issues and skills. I really jumped in the deep end of the pool. This meant I decided to learn Braille, some white cane techniques, some helpful technology, and decided to talk to and listen to successful blind people in my town. If indeed the dark is coming, do I really want to wait until that moment to decide to inform myself? Being proactive is better than waiting until some overworked social worker or family member takes on your case and decides for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Wait a minute! What if I never need any of this? Maybe it’s just easier to have several magnifiers around the house and not go out as much as I did. Well, maybe. And that is an option. But I believe it is the lessor of two options, one of them clearly being an inferior choice. Personally, I have always enjoyed learning new things. Braille has become a hobby of mine. I don’t use it to function, but I enjoy reading and writing Braille. Shocked? Why? Some people collect spoons or thimbles, and nobody thinks that’s odd. It just so happens that my hobby may come in handy on a day when I really need it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>What about having an identification cane when you need it? Crowded spaces can be a problem for me. I’ve already learned that falling down is no fun, and some people get mad when I bump into them. When I have that short little cane in my hand, people give me a couple inches of extra space, and I don’t feel like I’m about to slam into a stranger at any moment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> So, I walk in the world of the sighted, and I borrow things from the world of the blind. The line between the two is blurred. You either see or you don’t, right? Sorry, it is a lot more nuanced than that. Go read Kenneth Jernigan’s article I mentioned above.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Even I, with an impairment, still harbor feelings that I haven’t fully come to terms with. But I hope to someday. I have suffered a loss of some of my visual acuity. Whether or not I experience further decline in my vision, my world has become richer for the things I have learned and the people I have befriended who teach me about living with various degrees of vision. You lose something and you gain something if you reach out and try. Now, doesn’t that sound better than sitting at home without an idea of what to do?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Respectfully yours,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Robert Leslie Newman<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>NFBN Senior Division, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Respectfully yours,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Robert Leslie Newman</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>NFBN Senior Division, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>